The Federal Railroad Administration is awarding $8.2 billion in grants for high-speed passenger rail projects as well as projects supporting capital improvements in existing rail corridors.
While the Class I railroads generally fund their own track improvements, freight rail service can benefit from passenger rail grants because there are parts of the U.S. rail network where passenger rail and freight rail share track. Projects awarded with grant funding may be seeking to separate passenger rail traffic and freight rail traffic or they may go toward track improvements that will ultimately improve both passenger and freight rail service.
